Which family topped Forbes’ 2024 list of America’s richest families?

The Waltons topped Forbes’ 2024 list of America’s richest families, with wealth tied mainly to Walmart.

The family fortune began with Sam Walton, who opened the first Walmart store in Rogers, Arkansas, in 1962. Walmart expanded into the world’s largest retailer by revenue, and descendants retained a substantial shareholding through the family’s long-standing ownership interests.

Forbes’ family ranking differs from its individual billionaire list. It combines the estimated holdings of relatives and generally excludes fortunes controlled by a single founder or families whose wealth is too dispersed or difficult to verify. The list therefore measures a family’s collective fortune, not one person’s net worth.

The Mars family, Koch family and Cargill-MacMillan family are also prominent American dynasties with major business wealth. Their positions can change as private-company estimates, public shares and family ownership structures change.